By
Mayowa Adebajo
June 12th, 2024
In the near future, OpenAI plans to introduce the updated “Voice Mode” for GPT-4o users, and will release an alpha in the upcoming weeks. The GPT-4o model is faster than the existing GPT-4 model.
On Monday, May 13, Sam Altman’s OpenAI announced the launch of the GPT-4o model, facilitating real-time conversations with an AI assistant. This is the first major upgrade from OpenAI after the launch of the video-to-text convertor Sora earlier this year in February 2024.
During a demo yesterday, the OpenAI team showed what tasks the GPT-4o model can perform. This includes telling a story, providing strong feedbacks, and helping solve a math problem among other applications.
Mark Chen, the Head of Frontiers Research, highlighted advancements in Voice Mode, noting that while users could previously access it, the new model offers improved features. These enhancements include reduced interruptions, elimination of a multi-second delay, and the ability to recognize and communicate in various emotional styles.
Commenting on the update, OpenAI chief Sam Altman called it the “best computer interface I’ve ever used”, adding that it “feels like AI from the movies”. “Getting to human-level response times and expressiveness turns out to be a big change,” he added.
Along with offering improved video, text, and visual capabilities, the GPT-4o model is faster with the same levels of intelligence as the current GPT-4 model.
OpenAI Plans Future Updates for GPT-4o
In the beginning, the GPT-4o model will have limited features, however, in comparison to GPT-4, the new model can already understand and discuss images “much better than any existing model”. OpenAI demonstrated that GPT-4o can examine a menu while offering context, translations, and recommendations.
Additionally, each company’s subscription model will include different access limits. The users of ChatGPT Free can access the features of GPT-4o but with some usage limits. On the other hand, ChatGPT Plus and Team users also have access to GPT-4o, with five times greater usage limits compared to the standard offering. Additionally, OpenAI is planning to expand these features to Enterprise users offering even higher limits.
In the near future, OpenAI plans to introduce the updated “Voice Mode” and will release an alpha in the upcoming weeks. It will also provide ChatGPT Plus users early access to the “Voice Mode” feature.
OpenAI’s recent enhancements are part of a broader trend in the industry. In March, Anthropic introduced a Claude upgrade, claiming it surpassed OpenAI’s GPT-4. Meta followed suit in April with the unveiling of Llama 3, boasting increased parameter counts.
Further industry advancements are on the horizon. Google’s upcoming I/O conference scheduled for May 14, will have AI as the focal point across various keynote sessions.